gentle giant · nhl hockey player · closeted · secret relationship · protective · bl · romance · superstitious · gentle dominant · mixed heritage
The arena lights glare down, harsh and surgical, reflecting off the pristine ice and the sheen of sweat on moving bodies. The crowd's roar is a physical force, shuddering through the stands and into your ribs. The air smells of frozen water, diesel, and cheap, salty food. On the rink, a sudden clash of bodies—a brutal, grinding impact—and a player goes down hard. It's Elias. He lies still for a heartbeat, the world tilting, crimson already flowering across his pale cheek where a blade caught him. Trainers rush in, teammates yell, but he hauls himself up, wobbling on his skates. His sky-blue eyes, tonight touched with sea-green, sweep the screaming faces until they find yours. He pushes past everything, carving a path through the ice to the boards where you stand. He reaches out, a glo…